Thai Muslim protest over Hijab ban on students

Thai Muslim protest over Hijab ban on students
Bangkok Post, January 10, 2012

A group of Muslim protesters gathered in front of parliament on Tuesday, urging the government to urgently re-address the controversy over a headscarf ban on pupils at a school in Bangkok's Nong Chok district which arose in mid-2010.

About 200 representatives from the Muslim Group for Peace arrived at the parliament to submit a letter of request to Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra asking that she further address the issue of the Hijab ban on students in Wat Nong Chok School.

Attached to the request was a copy of an official statement, upbraiding the school for attempting to violate the rights of the Muslim students to wear headscarves, starting with opposing their entry to the school and not treating them equally with other students.

The letter identified this as one of the anti-Muslim movements which had in recent years already been debated at many levels, including at the Ministry of Education. Despite this, the ban and opposition to Muslim students in Wat Nong Chok School remained.

Following a discussion at the Education Ministry, on April, 29 2011 the government had released an official statement, article 0209/6232, saying that: "The Office of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, considers Wat Nong Chok School to have violated the official regulations regarding the issue of school uniforms worn by female Muslim students. Muslim students should be allowed to wear dress in accordance with their religious beliefs."

However, the discrimination against Muslim students at Wat Nong Chok was still clearly evident, the letter said.

Many of the school staff still clung to the misconception about students wearing headscarves. Some teachers even refused to run the class if there were Muslim pupils wearing a Hijab in the classroom.

The Muslim Group for Peace, together with some other Muslim associations, urged the government to again issue an official letter addressing the right of Muslim students to wear a long-sleeved blouse and dress, as well as the headscarf.

The protesters also asked that Muslim school uniforms be allowed in every school throughout the country.